Galen "Eli" Ruble was arrested and charged in the incident Monday. Police said Ruble, who wasn't a student at ASU, brought a 50-caliber single-shot black powder muzzleloader into Derby's room to scare him. When he allegedly pointed the gun at Derby, who was a few feet away, the gun went off. Ruble told police he didn't know the gun was loaded. Police said the two were friends.

Derby was a sophomore business education major at Appalachian State.

Paramedics said he was dead when they arrived from a gunshot wound to his head.

"He was a great guy," student Matthew Diggs said. "He had a great heart."